The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-06-17

"
dress, and an almost imperceptible motion OF
her hand, at once made room for him on the
bench beside her, and invited him 10 sit
down. He did So
"You are late" she said "why did you not
come TO tho lawn tenns9r
II thought that our party was sufficiently
represented" he answered, lamely nodding
toward Jeremy and his sister.
"Why are you not dancingr
"Because nobody asked me,r she said
sharply; "and besides was waiting for you
"Jeremy,n said Ernest, "F1orence says that
you didn't ask her 10 dance"
"Don't talk humbug, Ernest you know I
don't dancer
"No, indeed" put in Dorothy, at is easy 70
see that; never saw anybody look somiser.
able as you do"
"Or so big,p said Florence, consolingly.
Jeremy sunk back into his corner and tried
TO look smaller. His sister was right: dance
was untold misery TO him. The quadrile had
ceased by now, and presently the band struck
up waltz, which Ernest danced with Flor
ence. They both waltzed WELL and Ernest
kept going as much as possible, perhaps in
order to give no opportunity for conversa-
ton At any rate no allusion was made to
the events of the previous evening.
"Where are your aunt and sister Torencefs
he asked, as he led her back to her seat
"They are coming presently" she answered,
shortly.
The next dance was a galop and this he
danced with Dorothy, whose slim figure
looked, in the wlste muslin dress she wore,
more like that of child than a grown wo-
man. But child or woman, her general ap-
pearance was singrbarly pleasing and attract
i've. Ernest thought he had never seen the
quaint, puckeied, little face, with the two
ata DO in NIT Net
that it was pretty-it was not, but 1t was q
face with great deal of thought In IL, and,
moreover, 1t was face through which the
goodness of Its owner seemed TO shine like the
light through lamp
"You look so nice tonight, Dolly said
Ernest.
She flushed with pleasure, and answered
simply, II am glad you think so.'
"Yes, do think so; you are really pretty"
"Nonsense, Ernestl Can't you find some
other butt to practice your compliments ont
What is the good Of wasting them on met
am going to sit down"
"Really, DOLL don't know what has come
to you lately, you have grown so cross.n
She sighed as she answered gently: "No
more do |, Ernest ] did not mean to speak
Grossly, but you should not make fun of me.
ALI, here comes Miss Ceswick and Eva-r
They had rejoined Florence and Jeremy.
The two ladies were seated, while Ernest and
Jeremy were standing, the former in front of
them, the latter against the wall behind, for
| they were gathered at the topmost end of the
long room. At Dorothy's announcement
| both the lads bent forward to look down the
room, and both the women fixed they eyes on
Ernest's face anxiously, expectantly, some
thing as a criminal fixes his eyes on the fore
man of a jury who is about to pronounce
| words that will one way or another affect all
his life.
| ~ don't see them," said Ernest, carelessly
| "Oh, here they come. By Georgeln
Whatever those two women were looking
| for in his face, they had found It, and, to all
appearance, it pleased them very little.
| Dorothy turned pale, and leaned back with a
faint smile of resignation; she had expected
1t, that smile seemed to say; but the blood
famed like q danger flag into Florence's
naughty features-there was no resignation
there. And meanwhile Ernest was staring
| down the room, quite unaware Of the little
| comedy that was going on round him; so was
| Jeremy, and so was every other man who was
there to stare.
| And this was what they were staring at:
| Up the center Of the long room walked or
rather swept, Miss Ceswick, for even at her
advanced age she moved like queen, and at
any other time her appearance would in itself
1
people were not looking at Miss Ceswick, but
rather at the radiant creature who accom-.
panied her, and whose stature dwarfed her,
tall rs she was. Eva Ceswicls, for IL was she,
was dressed in white sole de Chine, in the
bosom of which was fixed a single rose. The
dress was cut low, and her splendid neck and
arms were entirely without ornament In
the masses of dark hair, which was coiled
like coronet round her head, there glistened
q diamond star. Simple as was her costume,
there was grandeur about it that struck the
whole room; but in truth it sprung from the
almost perfect beauty of the woman who
wore it. Any dress would have looked beauti-
full upon that noble form, that lowered 50
high and yet seemed to float up the room
with the grace of a swan and sway Like q
willow in the wind But her loveliness did
not end there. From those dark eyes there
shone light that few men could look upon
and forget, and yet there was nothing bold
about it. 1t was like the light of star
On she came, her lips half parted, seem
ingly unconscious of the admiration she was
attracting, eclipsing all other women as she
passed, and making her beauty, that before
had seemed bright enough, look poor and
mean beside her own. 1t took but few
seconds, ten perhaps, for her to walk up the
room, and yet to Ernest it seemed long before
her eyes met his own, and something passed
from them into his heart that remained there
all his life.
His gaze made her blush little, It was SC
unmistakable. She guessed who he was, and
passed him with little inclination of heI
head.
"Well, here we are at last" she said, ad
dressing her sister in her musical pure voice
"What do you think, something went wrong
with the wheel of the fly, and we had to stoI
to get it mended."
"Indeed" answered Florence; II though
that perhaps you came late in order to max,
more effective entry"
."Floreuce," said her aunt, reprovingly
'you should not say such things"
Florence did not answer, but put her lac
handkerchief to her lip. She had bitten
till the blood ran.
By this time Ernest had recovered himself
, He saw several young fellows bearing dow
upon them, and knew what they were after
Miss Ceswick," he said, twill you intro
duce mel'
No sooner said than done and at tina
moment the band began to play q waltz
five seconds moro she was floating down th
room upon his arm, and the adj ancing youn
, gentlemen were left lamenting, and, IL tn
truth must be told, anathematizing .'tha
, puppy Kershaw" beneath their breath.
| tnere was spirit IN tnelr 1eet, she dance
divinely. Lightly leaning on his arm, the
} swept round the room, the incarnation c
youthful strength and beauty, and, as the
passed, even sour old Lady Asteigh lowere
her ancient nosean .nch or more, and deigne
to ask who that hD ndsome young man dan
ing with the ''tal girln wasl Presently the
halted, and Ern st observed a more than us,
. ally intrepid m IN coming toward them, wit
I the design, no doubt, Of obtaining an intr
/ duction and tne promise of dances. But agai
= he was equeI to the occasion.
"Have you a card ~ he asked.
. "Oh, yesn
: "Will you allow me to put my name dow
: for another dancei l think that our stel
: suit
eyes, we get on nicely. Here it isn
!. Ernest took it The young man had q
y rived now, and was lowering around al
glowering. Ernest nodded to him cheerful
= and put his namen very much down, /
y deed for no less than three dances and
y extra.
= Eva opened her eyes a little, but she ga
u nothing their steps suited so very well.
= MAY ask you, Kershaw-" began
u would be rival
" "Oh, certainly" answered Ernest, benignl
% 81 will be with you presently, !" and they flo,
l. ed off again on the rising wave of the mus
70 When the dance ended they stopped Just
q the spot where Miss Ceswick wis sittin
IL | Florence and Dorothy were both dancir